Ghana forward Mukarama Abdulai expressed disappointment with the team's missed opportunities in front of goal following a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Ethiopia in the African Games Group A opener on Saturday.

The former FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Golden Boot winner acknowledged the team's shortcomings but remained hopeful for a better performance against Tanzania on Tuesday.

Speaking to the press ahead of the game, Abdulai reflected on the missed chances in the first match, stating, "The first game didn’t go as planned, it didn't go the way we all wanted, especially missing chances that we could have scored."

She emphasized the team's determination to improve, highlighting the efforts made by the coaching staff to address areas of weakness.

"Our fans expected more but going into the second match, we have worked on what didn’t go well for us and the coaches have worked on areas we lacked individually and as a group," she explained.

Abdulai recognized the physical challenge posed by Tanzania but expressed confidence in the team's ability to execute the game plan.

"We know they are a physical side but we will follow our coaches’ instructions and go into the game to do better than our opening match," she said.

Reflecting on her own performance, Abdulai acknowledged the difference between playing in the World Cup and the African Games but refused to make excuses.

"Playing in the World Cup is totally different from the African Games but I wouldn’t use this as an excuse not to score in the opening game though I had goal-scoring chances," she noted. "But I expect to do better in our next matches."

The Black Princesses are set to face Tanzania on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium, with Abdulai and her teammates aiming for an improved showing and a positive result.